Method of cleaning sheet-metal plates.



F. EBERHART.

METHOD OF CLEANING SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPLICATION mw sEPT.9,1912.

1,136,1 10. Patentedf'ApnzO, 1915.

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METHOD oT CLEANTATG SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPUCATSON FILE SEPT- 9. |912. 1,1361 10, Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

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WM5@ e5 i Inventar:

flLif'T't UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX EBERHART, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0F CLEANING SHEET-METAL PLATES,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

Application led September- 9, 1912'. Serial No. 719,368.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FELIX EBEnrrAnna citizen of the United States, reslding 1n Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Cleaning Sheet-Metal Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of cleaning sheet metal plates.

In the manufacture of tin cans and other containing vessels, and especially those designed for preserving food stuffs such as fruits and berries containing acid julces, 1t is customary to lacquer the insides of the cans, and in this connection it is essential that the sheet metal plates of tin be thoroughly dry and clean before the protective coating of lacquer or other material 1s applied, where the can bodies are made up from previously lacquered sheets as d1stinguished from lacquered cans having the lacquer applied after the can has been made.

They general method, hitherto, of cleanlng tin plate has been to pass the sheets while cold through the cleaning machine which comprises a set o'f witping brushes or bristles and a number o rolls provided with a covering of carpet or other suitable material. With this lmethod for cleaning the tin plates, difficulty is experienced in removing a certain amount of greasy matter which is generally found on the tin plates, and furthermore the carpet on the cleaning rolls soon becomes clogged with the grease and requires re lacing.

The object o my invention is to provide a method for cleaning tin plate which will be free from the objections of the old process as above indicated, and in which the life of the apparatus, especially of the cleaning rolls, will be prolonged.Y Generally stated, the process or method consists in subjecting both surfaces of the sheet metal plates to a flame which will burn up the particles of dirt and dust, and which flames at the same time will heat the plate to lconsiderable extent, thus softening the greasy matter thereon andrendering it more easily removable by the cleaningrolls to which the sheet isi fed immediately after being exposed to the flame.

Inthe drawing forming a part of this specification is shown an apparatus for carrying out my improved process, and in said drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2 being upon a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail, enlarged, longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawing, 10 denotes a suitable framework adapted to support the various parts of the cleaning apparatus, and projecting upwardly from said framework are two spaced standards 11, 11 in which are mounted a plurality of cleaning rolls 12, 12 arranged in pairs and adapted to be driven by a suitable gearing from a power shaft 13 driven from any suitable source of power, not shown, by means of the driving pulley 14. Mounted on the power shaft 13 is a clutch device 15 adapted to be operated byA a shipper lever 16.

As shown in the drawings, each of the cleaning rolls comprises a hollow, cylindrical member 17 covered with carpet or other suitable material 18, said rolls being arranged in vertical pairs, the upper rolls of each pair being mounted in adjustable journal bearings 19, and the lower rolls of each pair in cushioned journal bearings 20. Secured to the uprights 11 is a laterally projecting bracket member 21 having a table 22 on which 4are mounted two sets of flame burners 23, 23, each set comprising an upper and a lower member adapted to project a gas flame on the surfaces of a sheet 24 as the same is fed through the machine in a manner about to be described. The sheets are placed on the table 22 and fed past the flame burners by means of two sets of feeding rolls 25, 25, each set comprising an upper and a lower member, one of which is preferably mounted in cushioned bearings. One member of 'each set of rolls is adapted to be positively rotated as by means of a sprocket chain 26 vadapted to be driven from a sprocket gear 27 secured on the end of a shaft 28 mounted in the uprights 11 and driven from the power shaft 13, said sprocket chain 26 taking over sprocket gears 29, 29, on the ends of the shafts of the feeding rolls 25. A plurality of feeding rolls 30 are provided for feeding the sheet metal plates through the cleaning rolls, some of sa'id feeding rolls 30 vbeing adapted to be positively operated by suitable mechanism from the power shaft 13. The plates, before bein passed to the cleaning rolls are preferab y vpassed between a set .of wiping brushes 31. v Y

Referring now to the flame burners, it will be seen that each comprises a pipe 32 extended transversely of the bracket 21, and each provided With a plurality Yof perforations and adapted to be supplied by gas throughgas pipes 33 and with air through an air pipe 34, each of said pipes 33 and 34,

as -shown, being provided with a suitable valve 35 to regulate the-flow' of the gas and a1r.

From the fore Qing description it will be seen that the suraces of the plates are subjected progressively t0 a naked flame which will carbonizeor burn up the greater part of the particles of dirt and dust adhering to the plates, and which at the same time will heat the plates and soften and loose`\any greasy matter, which can be easily removed by the cleaning rolls by the frictional rubbing of the carpet or other material over the surfaces 'of the plates as the latter are fed through the machine.

I claim -1. The process of treating sheet metal plates 'for the removal of grease and other king sheet metal tin plate havin substances which consists in first subjecting one surface of the plate to a naked ,flame and then directly thereafter subjecting said surface of the plate to a frictional rubbing, substantially as specified.

2. A process of treating sheet metal plates havingv oily or greasy surfaces, for the removal of such ease and oil, which consists in first subjecting the surfaces of the plate directly to naked flames produced by the combustion of a preformed mixture of gas and air, and thereby consuming some of the particles on the surfaces of the plate, and softening the greasy matter. thereon, and then immediately thereafter subjecting the surfaces of the plate to frictional rubbing, substantially as specified.

3. The herein described process of treatoily or greasy surfaces, which consists in rst burning up thev particles of dirt and dust on the surfaces of the plate, and at. the same time heating the plate and softening the 'greasy matter thereon, and then removing and absorbing the said matter by subjecting the plate to a frictional rubbing by an absorbent material.

FELIX EBERHART.

Witnesses:

W. D. Fosm, C. W. Gaan-AM. 

